Card machines for photographers

Take payments and deposits on location or in the studio - portable, professional, and with rates that suit your business.

Common challenges

  • Chasing bank transfers and late invoice payments
  • Need to take deposits on the spot at consultations
  • Working at venues with no reliable Wi-Fi
  • Want professional payment experience for premium clients
  • Transaction fees on larger payments add up

Published:

Recommended solutions

PAX A800

Portable/countertop Android terminal with 5.7-inch touchscreen and Payment & POS functionality. Built-in Wi-Fi & 4G connectivity, along with thermal printing. Includes merchant branding on-screen, an intuitive over-the-phone payment flow, on-board POS features, and is configurable for full POS integration.

  • 5.7-inch HD touchscreen
  • Built-in printer
  • Wi-Fi & 4G
  • Contactless, Chip & Pin, over-the-phone
  • Fast contactless transacting
  • Integrates with its provider's own POS only
  • Android POS and payments
Contract
negotiable

Why photographers choose uno

Photographers work on location — weddings, events, portrait sessions - and often need to take deposits or final payments where there’s no shop counter and no Wi-Fi. A portable card machine means you get paid on the spot.

Get paid immediately

No more chasing bank transfers or waiting for invoices to clear. Take a deposit at the booking consultation and the balance on delivery - all on card.

Works anywhere

4G-connected terminals mean you can take payments at a wedding venue, an outdoor shoot, or a client’s home without needing their Wi-Fi.

Professional experience

Taking card payment on a proper terminal looks more professional than asking clients to transfer money or pay cash. It matches the premium service you deliver.

What you get from uno

  • A portable terminal for on-location and studio payments
  • Rates compared across multiple providers
  • 4G connectivity — no Wi-Fi dependency
  • Simple setup and ongoing support

Common questions from photography owners

Can I take a card deposit when a client books a photo shoot?

Yes. Process the deposit as a standard card transaction - in person, or over the phone using the MOTO function. Session fee on booking, remaining balance on delivery of prints or digital files. No invoicing, no chasing bank transfers.

I shoot on location - can I take payment at a wedding or event?

Yes. A portable terminal with 4G fits in your camera bag. If a client wants to pay the balance on the day, or someone at an event wants to book you on the spot, you can take payment wherever you are.

General questions about uno
Which card machine is right for my business?

The right card machine depends on how the business trades. A fine-dining restaurant in Covent Garden, a market trader at Glasgow's Barras and a pub beside Cardiff Arms Park take payments in completely different ways, and no single machine suits all three. uno starts by understanding how a business actually operates, and only then recommends - from a range of providers rather than from one.

Do all the card machines uno recommends take contactless?

Yes, every one of them. Apple Pay, Google Pay and contactless cards are accepted as standard on every machine uno recommends; contactless is how most UK customers now pay, and every machine features it as standard.

Will I be able to take 'over-the-phone' payments?

For most merchants, yes - available on-screen along with contactless and Chip & Pin. The small minority of high-risk business-types that are not offered over-the-phone payments by default are the exception - for the vast majority, 'over-the-phone' payments will be offered as standard.

How can we process refunds?

From the card machine, in a few taps. Refund a sale on the same day and it is cancelled outright, with the money never leaving the customer's account; refund it after the provider's daily cut-off and the customer's bank typically takes 3-5 days to return it. Every machine uno recommends handles both, and the difference is only in how quickly the customer sees the money.

Is PCI compliance as much of a chore as it is with my current provider?

With several of the providers uno works with the merchant does nothing at all, because the provider handles PCI on their behalf; with the others it is a few minutes once a year. Nobody uno works with makes it complicated, and uno tells a merchant which they are getting before anything is signed.

How long does it take to get set up?

Most businesses are up and running within a few days. uno handles the installation and configuration, then walks the merchant and their staff through everything.

Ready to choose the right card machine?

We make the effort to understand how you operate, and only then recommend the solution that's right for your business - not the provider's.

Get Started 07395 451520